Jurrjens, Teixeira spark Braves to first sweep of Dodgers in eight years

ATLANTA (AP) -- Move over, Andruw Jones. The fans in Willemstad, Curacao, may have a new favorite son.

Jair Jurrjens pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, striking out Jones three times, and the Atlanta Braves beat Los Angeles 6-1 Sunday for their first sweep of the Dodgers in eight years.

Menacing Acts

Mark Teixeira has been a menace to Joe Torre-managed teams. His 3-for-4, 3 RBIs day against Torre's Dodgers on Sunday was no exception. Here are the numbers:

BA

.403 (31-77)

HR

3

RBI

16

Games

19

Jones, a 10-time Gold Glove winner with the Braves before signing with the Dodgers, was only the second major league player from Curacao. Jones followed Hensley Meulens, who played for the Yankees from 1989-93.

Jurrjens said he was a bat boy when his older brother and Jones played in an amateur league in Curacao. He said facing the star for the first time was a thrill.

"I try not to look at him because I know he's going to smile," Jurrjens said of Jones.

Jurrjens said he hasn't surpassed Jones as Curacao's new favorite player.

"No, I don't think so," he said. "I think he's still the biggest one back home."

Jurrjens (2-2), a rookie acquired by the Braves in an offseason trade that sent shortstop Edgar Renteria to Detroit, struck out a career-high eight.

"Every outing has been really good and he's only 22 years old," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "He's a good one."

Dodgers manager Joe Torre agreed.

"He's pretty impressive," Torre said of Jurrjens. "He locates well, and he has such command of his changeup."

Jurrjens' fastball was consistently clocked at about 95 miles per hour.

"That's the hardest he's thrown since he's been with us," Cox said.

Jurrjens said he wasn't throwing as hard in colder weather. "I didn't have a really good grip," he said.

Andruw Jones finished his 0-for-4 day by hitting a weak one-out grounder to shortstop Yunel Escobar with Juan Pierre on third base. Pierre, who stole second and third base after his leadoff single, had to hold at third on the groundout and was left at third when Martin ended the inning with a grounder to Escobar.

Kuroda left the bases loaded in the sixth when right fielder Andre Ethier ended the inning with a leaping catch of Prado's drive to right-center. Ethier, running to his right, made the catch a few feet in front of the warning track.

"It came at an important time," Ethier said. "That added more value to it."

Game notes

Braves LF Gregor Blanco started over Matt Diaz for the third straight game. He was 1-for-2 with a walk after having two hits in each of the first two games of the series. Diaz pinch-hit for Blanco in the seventh and had two strikeouts. ... The Dodgers did not have a double for the first time this season. ... Atlanta's bullpen gave up only one run in 10 2/3 innings in the series.